Does anyone know anything about a secret tunnel leading from Kings Norton Church to somewhere in the area of Wythall Lane? I have a very hazy recollection of this, and have been making enquiries locally with negative results. An elderly lady I met in the church grounds told me it was an urban myth but I am not so sure?

63 Responses to “Secret tunnels in Kings Norton”

I was born on Lindsworth Road in 1960, so coming across this site tonight has been a great read. Kings Norton is rich in history, I believe it’s even mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Hello to Neil Barnett who commented above, was my neighbour from 6 doors down, long long time no see.
I’m 54 years old and I still go back to Kings Norton occasionally, park the car and go rambling off down memory lane! The reservoir (ressa); who remembers Burt? The guy who used to run the tea room at the ressa and hire the boats out for fishing. The Swingbridge has been removed now, my goodness the hours we used to spend on that bridge larking about. Lifford Hall had its famous well talked about ghost ‘the white lady’. A old couple who lived on lindsworth road called Mr and Mrs Harris used to live in Lifford Hall back in the 40s/50s era, I presume as caretakers. They mentioned about the tunnels, can’t recall exactly what. Loved growing up there, I’ve fell in that cut more times than I care to remember!

Hi Karen.
Yes, I remember Burt (a bit of a drunkard) his surname was Hawkins, he lived in a council flat near me. In the 1960’s I lived in Partons road Kings Heath, and he lived in Staveley road. I remember he had a daughter called Barbara, she used to look after me when I was about 5 or 6 years old while my mother went to work at Cadbury’s.
I also remember the “Swing Bridge” at Lifford, and I too used to play on it (it’s gone now. I’ve just looked at the Google map, and instead of the Swing bridge, there is now a brick pathway for pedestrians).
As a young boy, I’ve spent hundreds of hours fishing at the “Ressa” Lifford.
We used to hire one of the flat bottomed Punts so we could fish in the middle of the Ressa.
Lifford Hall always intrigued me when I was young, so much so that I explored it a bit. There’s a castle tower (still there) that looks medieval, but in fact it’s a Victorian Folly.
There are two tunnels (hence “Tunnel Lane”) in the grounds of the 15th century Lifford Hall. I watched a film clip in the early 1970s on ATV Today, a TV crew entered the tunnels in Lifford lane, but could only go 200 yards into it, as it was in danger of collapse.
A few years ago, I spoke to a rector at St. Nicholas church at Kings Norton Green about the Lifford hall and tunnels, and he said that it was true, and that the tunnels ran from the Church itself to Lifford Hall.
He said that at times of the Protestant persecution, the Catholic priests would leave the church via the tunnels, and go to the safety of Lifford Hall, which was owned a Catholic sympathiser.
Perhaps our paths have crossed sometime in the past!

There is no truth in the story that tunnels lead from Lifford Hall to Kings Norton Church. This is over a mile!
There are tunnels leading from the front of Lifford Hall but they are considerably shorter and head in the direction of the reservoir. When you walk between the the reservoir and the river on the wide terrace you are walking along the the last section of the tunnel. Before the reservoir was built in 1813 tunnel was only about 25 yds long.
The tunnel is in fact the tail race tunnel from the water mill that once stood on the west (left) side of the Hall as you look at it today from the bridge. The tall crenellated bay window is the site of one of the water wheels and the end of the low building farther to the left is the site of the other water wheel. In my survey work on the mill in the 1980s I entered the tunnels and had them mapped.

The mill was moved in the early 19th century onto a site in the corner of Tunnel Lane as it turns sharp right to head along the reservoir. I had this mill excavated in the late 1980s.

There is no truth in the story that tunnels lead fropm Lifford Hall to Kings Norton Church. This is over a mile!
There are tunnels leading from the front of Lifford Hall but they are considerably shorter and head in the direction of the reservoir. When you walk between the the reservoir and the river on the wide terrace you are walking along the the last section of the tunel. Before the reservoir was built in 1813 tunnel was only about 25 yds long.
The tunnel is in fact the tail race tunnel from the water mill that once stood on the west (left) side of the Hall as you look at it today from the bridge. The tall crenellated bay window is the site of one of the water wheels and the end of the low building farther to the left is the site of the other water wheel. In my survey work on the mill in the 1980s I entered the tunnels and had them mapped.

The mill was moved in the early 19th century onto a site in the corner of Tunnel Lane as it turns sharp right to head along the reservoir. I had this mill excavated in the late 1980s.

Many years ago in the 70s I lived in Wychall Lane and we used to have a regular ghost(?) who visited, ran down our entry quite a few times and disappeared down our long garden, leading down to the stream (think it’s river Rea?). Have always wondered if this was linked to Kings Norton Church, am still investigating.

Hi Karen very interested in your memories of Lifford Hall. I believe the Mr and Mrs Harris you referred to may have been Mrs Rose Harris and her husband. I can remember my mother telling me that they owned Lifford Hall and sold it to Sturges who converted the property into their canteen and sports and social club. Rose Harris worked as a member of the canteen staff when we were there in the late 50s early 60s. Consequently I remember Rose Harris from that time as she and my mother worked together. If you access the site of Langard, Lifford who are the current owners, in their history of the site there is a reference to a Griffin Harris family who came into possession of the hall. I believe that they would be connected. If Lindsworth Road is accessed from the hall by turning left out of Tunnel Lane onto Lifford Lane, past the main entrance to Sturges, over the canal bridge and turn left I can remember visiting Mrs Harris with my mother.

What an amazing thread. My family were the Heys and Boultons and they lived at Tunnel End and Tunnel Cottages in Masshouse Lane. Which suggests to me there must have been a tunnel at this location too. Also at Old Masshouse Farm and 31 The Green. I looked into all this some 11 years ago but only this weekend did I get a chance to visit Kings Norton – what a lovely place.

It is well over five years since I posted the original question concerning tunnels in Kings Norton. It is probably over a year since I re-visited this thread, and I am pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest it has attracted.
I also opened the High House thread, which although attracting some interest, has ground to a halt… if anybody knows ANY history on High House, please let me know.

To return to the tunnels: I am impressed to see that this thread has not been polluted by the usual idiots who spoil things for everybody else. The responses have all been intelligent and, as far as memory allows, accurate.
I have nothing at the moment to add to the Kings Norton tunnels, except to say it appears this is not an urban myth. There is a common memory running through the responses.

What I have discovered through my association with a highly regarded historian (Who I have agreed not to identify) is that such tunnels exist beneath most of England, especially beneath areas of high habitation.
These tunnels have been a large problem to civil engineers, as there is no trace of them on any map, and some of them are very large and very very deep. The larger tunnels that have been found are also inter-connected. He has a theory, although untested, that at one time, it would be possible to travel all over England without ever surfacing.

During the Dark Ages people lived in burrows, usually in hillsides, but there is little history available as to the purpose of the tunnels. My clever friend was to reluctant to forward any further theories. He did however raise three questions that would need to be answered…

1. Who made them? 2. How? 3. Why?

I realise that I have gone a little off subject, but sometimes, if one is aware of the much bigger picture, it can help to answer local issues.

My father Joe Corr worked at sturges factory from around 1955.We lived in a rented house in Lifford Lane owned by the firm.I remember quite vividly the Xmas parties for children at the White House as it was always very exciting for us.
I vaguely remember my parents getting on very well with the owners and having other visits to the house.The surname Barker I remember very well indeed,as do I recall the story of the white lady haunting the grounds!
Sadly I do not recall stories of the secret tunnels.

What interesting reading! I live less than 100m from the old Masshouse on the site of the old farm, and we have a huge slab of concrete blocking off something at the top of the garden. We assume it’s a well, but it does get you thinking! Won’t be messing with it but I love to read the stories.

I heard rumours years ago of tunnels.
As you walk along the main path into St Nicholas church there is a grave/tomb on the left which has the words ‘ENTRANCE BENEATH’ carved into the front of it. Apparently there is no entrance beneath! Does anyone know anything about this?